The ability for blind and vision impaired people to interact with a computer is critical if they are to remain engaged in society. However, computer usage for the visually impaired gives rise to various challenges in terms of both inputting and receiving back information. Using today's technology, a visually impaired person will receive output traditionally displayed on a monitor via a screen reader, a refreshable braille display, or a combination of both. A refreshable braille display (also referred to as a braille terminal) is an electro-mechanical device for displaying braille characters, usually by means of round-tipped pins raised through holes in a flat surface. Refreshable braille displays are for example described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,685,721 and 5,453,021, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Refreshable braille displays are often arranged adjacent to or below a traditional keyboard. Accordingly, when using a refreshable braille display, the user must constantly move their hands between the input source (e.g., a traditional keyboard, a Perkins Brailler, etc.) and the output source, the refreshable braille display. Unfortunately, this constant moving of hands between the devices slows down the process and can be detrimental to productivity.